


Fair and Square

by ambientwreck



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers, Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Flash Fic, Gen, Guns, Pre-Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers, Short & Sweet, background Wreckers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-27 21:46:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18199721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambientwreck/pseuds/ambientwreck
Summary: When exactly did Guzzle become a Wrecker?(A fun short read, for all audiences. You may even smile at the end.)





	Fair and Square

“So. . . . . how fast CAN you field strip a rifle?”

I was taken aback. Being asked to field strip weaponry, before knowing my designation? I liked how this bot processed. He’d introduced himself as Siren, one of my new platoon.

“I’m not bad.” I was being modest. The fact is, I’d done nothing but strip and service pulse rifles for metacycles. Stuck in medbay (pending repairs) it was the only thing that broke the monotony, being slabbed really rusted my rivets.

“Great!” He rubbed his hands together with gusto. “We got us a little competition going. . . you heard of Roadbuster?”

“Seriously?!” Roadbuster from the Wreckers? Holy Primus! Following Wreckers was a past time every one of us "walking shrapnel-shields" participated in. Who didn’t subscribe to Wreckers: Declassified? My personal favorite was Roadbuster, the big bot was an inspiration. 

“That ain’t the half of it. Anyone who can field strip a rifle faster than Roadbuster can claim one of his personal armament.” 

My expression answered his next question.

We walked into the Mess Hall, filled to the rim with bots, quiet enough to hear the collective hum of CPU cooling systems. Everyone stared intently into the center of the room to a long steel table, the point of convergence. Mostly unfamiliar faces, but grunts, the frontline mainstays, my brothers-in-arms. It felt good to be back amongst them.

It didn’t take long to see who was center stage. It’s hard to miss Roadbuster, he towered over every bot there. Next to him was Springer and Whirl. Only three. . .  but seeing them sent a shiver to my core. I was in the same room as three of the infamous Wreckers. I may even get to rub skid plates with them for a cycle. 

The room erupted with noise as, once again, Roadbuster proved unbeatable. Siren navigated the frenzy as I followed behind. He clapped a defeated bot on the back, who stood up from the table to lock eyes on me. 

“This the new bot?”

“Guzzle, this is Sizzle,” He proceeded to point out the rest of the group standing around me. “Pincher, Overdrive, Hosehead, and Outback.”

Curt nods. All the noise masked my nerves and hesitation. I was the new bot, which is like the bottom of the oil pan. It gets stomped on, if you know what I mean. This was my chance at a first impression, if I failed in the optics of my team, I’d never live it down.

“Yer up Guzzle!” Sizzle moved out of the space he’d created, Outback nudged me forward. 

I looked up long enough to see where I was in relation to Roadbuster, but then the room went instantly quiet. My world condensed down to a tabletop, energy clips, muzzle stabilizers, a clinical instrument of our grinding conflict.

“Ready bots?” It was Springer’s voice, I recognized it from the holovids. He paused a beat, for the crushing silence to build. . . .  “Go!”

I can’t say I was aware of every klik, the dance of my hands as the combination collapsed and reformed. . . . but then I was finished. . . and I was the only bot done. The room exploded with cheers. I turned just long enough to see shock, then a grim smile from Roadbuster’s face. . . Before a new shadow fell across it.

“Wreckers!” Impactor, their imposing leader, interrupted, braking everyone out of their reverie. “We’ve got a date! Wrap it up, move it out! Wreck and Rule!”

The remaining Wreckers returned the call as the whole room stood up. Wreckers don’t hold with honor guards, but this was just sheer respect.

“Slag yer fast.” Roadbuster’s deep booming voice caught me by surprise as he held his handgun out to me. “You won it fair and square, I’m a bot of my word.” 

As I held my prize, he placed his other powerful fist over mine. “You realize this is Wreckers issue? Anyone judged unworthy answers to this, okay?” I nodded, lost in the thrill. That was the day, the moment, my spark became a Wrecker. . . . and my weapon became the judge of those I faced.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a contest on the IDW boards back in 2010. The stipulation was to write a lost tale of the Wreckers within 700 words. If I had had unlimited words I would have fleshed out so much more but I'm happy with how this came out and so I'm sharing it. I hope you all enjoy it.


End file.
